When I first saw the trailer for “Wicker,” starring Olivia Colman and Alexander Skarsgård, I was intrigued. Not only because of the vast amount of sex in the trailer (though that definitely helped) but also by the wedding scene, and the obvious contrast between Colman’s character “The Fisherwoman,” Skarsgård’s character “The Wicker Husband” and the rest of their town’s cultural and social nuances.
“Wicker” came to theaters Oct. 23 and was directed by Alex Huston Fischer and Eleanor Wilson. Based on the short story “The Wicker Husband” by Ursula Wills, the movie follows a Fisherwoman in her village, and the aftermath of her commissioning a “Wicker Husband” from the resident magical basket maker.
Wicker is a malleable and woven wood, like what Easter baskets are made of. The Wicker Husband in particular is made of willow, as the “Basketmaker” (Peter Dinklage) states later in the movie.
We start the movie with the introduction to the Fisherwoman and some of the town’s residents, and then there is a wedding. This wedding is between “The Bottlewasher” and a woman who is not technically named until after her wedding. All of the residents in this town are named after either their job (if they are men), or their relation to someone else (if they are women), with few exceptions. This is the first of many pieces of evidence that build the structural narrative of misogyny in the town. Further enforcing that narrative, instead of exchanging rings, the man puts a collar around his new wife’s neck. Though the new wife is happy about the collar in this instance, The Bottlewasher still struggles physically to put it on her, bringing both physical comedy to the movie, and symbolism of how the collaring and ownership, is not necessarily safe, healthy, or good, for either of them. Their vows also reflect this ownership, with the Bottlewasher vowing to protect and provide, while his wife (now “The Bottlewasher’s Wife”) vows to submit and obey.
The Fisherwoman is set up continually through the film to oppose this patriarchal society, with both her dismissal of blatantly patriarchal traditions and blunt demeanor.
Rather than the traditional bouquet toss, at each wedding in the village the next woman to be married is marked by wicker eggs the Basketmaker hands out. The Fisherwoman is marked to be wed, but, lacking interest in any of the men in the village, she instead commissions the Basketmaker to make her a “Wicker Husband.”
Then, as promised in the trailer, the physical comedy and sexuality begin from the Wicker Husband. In his introductory scene, which is possibly my favorite scene of the movie, we don’t actually see the Wicker Husband. Instead, we focus on “The Tailor’s Wife” with the Tailor in the background opening the door. He looks shocked, and we hear who we assume is the Wicker Husband say “I’m getting married in the morning, will you lend me a suit?” As the Tailor’s Wife pays more attention to the interaction, we focus more on the Tailor, though we still can’t see the Wicker Husband. The Tailor obliges and hands him the suit with the lovely line of dialogue: “Here’s your cock— Suit!” Making it obvious what the Tailor and his wife are so shocked by.
The Fisherwoman and the Wicker Husband get married at the chapel the next morning. The ceremony is in stark contrast to the earlier wedding scene, with the Fisherwoman responding to the minister instead of the man, the lack of an audience, and their lack of a collar. Their vows were also different because they were much more equal in power, with few references to servitude.
From this point on, we start to hear whispers, mostly from the women, but definitely also from the men in the village, about how unconventional the marriage is. The Fisherwoman and Wicker Husband’s marriage is so much more gratifying sexually and balanced, that the men worry a little, as their wives are asking for more from them. “The Innkeeper’s Wife” after overhearing the Wicker Husband say “You are the reason I live and breathe,” to his wife, realizes her marriage could be so much more fulfilling and asks her husband to be more affectionate with her like the Wicker Husband is. The women whisper about their own marriages and how the Wicker Husband is much better, sexually and emotionally. I got the feeling that it is not necessarily that they desire him, though it comes across that way, but it is rather that they want the men they love to be more like that.
The Wicker Husband and the Fisherwoman bond more during this middle section of the movie. They grow closer and closer (with many entertaining sex scenes and broken beds) as the rest of the village starts to fall apart. Couples fight more, the women realizing that they could have more than what they settled for, and that freedom is not a bad thing. The Tailor’s Wife, jealous of the Fisherwoman, approaches her while they are both picking berries for jam. The Tailor’s Wife lies, telling the Fisherwoman that the Wicker Husband has been sleeping around in the village. Though women do desire him, as far as the audience knows, the Wicker Husband has not been unfaithful. The Fisherwoman seemingly does not believe the lie, but it plants a seed of doubt. She asks the Wicker Husband later if he had talked to any of the wives in the village recently, which he says he hadn’t, other than in the course of business.
Then, to try to make his wife happy, the Bottlewasher climbs up on his roof to fix it for her. He falls, and though he quickly receives medical attention, he dies.
Thus begins the rise to the climax of the movie. The Bottlewasher’s widow grieves. The Fisherwoman’s doubt and insecurity rises to the surface and she argues with the Wicker Husband. The Tailor’s Wife plots. Eventually, the Bottlewasher’s Wife (she is still dubbed this, even though he has died) goes to see the Basketmaker. She commissions him for a baby, which he agrees to make. I was initially very concerned by that choice (why would he give a baby to a manic grieving mother?), but the Basketmaker argued that he wasn’t in charge of anyone, and who was he to decide who should have a child, which I found very interesting.
Despite the Bottlewasher’s Wife’s attempts to hide it, the Tailor’s Wife, her older sister, finds it, and decides to pretend it is the bastard child of the Wicker Husband and the Bottlewasher’s Wife. She marches down to the Fisherwoman and the Wicker Husband’s house to accuse him. Although the Wicker Husband denies it, the seed of doubt in the Fisherwoman’s mind plays against her trust in him. The Tailor’s Wife threatens to burn the baby if the Wicker Husband does not claim it, and he, full of empathy because he knows how alive he is and so knows how alive the baby is, protests. The Fisherwoman is quickly overwhelmed and lashes out, and hits the Wicker Husband with a lamp, which sets him on fire. She is immediately regretful, but it is too late. The Wicker Husband meanwhile, in an attempt to put out the fire, runs to the nearby river. The two sisters leave after this, the Bottlewasher’s Wife incredibly sorry, and the Tailor’s Wife pleased to have ruined the thing that was making the village disharmonious.
The Fisherwoman grieves for days and days, and decides to take in the baby to give herself purpose, and to remember her husband. We learn that the Wicker Husband survived. He had severe burns, but the Basketmaker took him in to fix him, and brought him back to the Fisherwoman.
The Fisherwoman and the Wicker Husband reunite and make up. They clear the air, and promise to trust and love each other as full people. The Basketmaker watches, and plots with them, once they are done talking.
For the final arc of the movie, the Basketmaker goes into the village and announces his retirement. He says that for his last masterpiece, he has created a woman made of wicker, and whoever brings him the best gift, will get her. This leads to one of the funniest sequences, where all of the couples debate with themselves how they don’t really NEED “The Wicker Woman,” but then give each other reasons that they should try and win her.
“The Bakerman” and “The Bakerwoman” are my personal favorites in this scene. The only two people who are truly against getting the Wicker Woman are the Tailor and the Innkeeper’s Wife.
One by one, everyone brings their gifts, and it is clear that the village has fallen apart. The Innkeeper brought all of his ale and “The Miller” brought all of the village’s grain for winter as gifts. The Tailor’s Wife comes in at the end and gives the Basketmaker a bag of coins, declaring her intention to leave her husband and children, and have the Wicker Woman take care of them and fill her role. As she finishes declaring this, “The Butcher,” who is established to be a terrible person, comes in and hugely outbids her, leaving her with the consequences of her actions. A fight ensues with all of the villagers, and then as it cools, the Basketmaker brings down the Wicker Woman from his cart and presents her to the Butcher. The Basketmaker gets into his cart and begins to drive away, the first sign that this Wicker Woman is not a good thing, as the Butcher unveils his bride. This Wicker Woman, unlike the Wicker Husband, is made of black thorn, a spiky violent plant. The town draws back in fear, as the Wicker Woman attacks the Butcher. As far as we, the audience, know, the Wicker Woman only kills the Butcher, but she is left there at the village.
The Fisherwoman, the Wicker Husband, their new child, and the Basketmaker ride off in the wake of the destruction of the village, both intentional and unintentional, ready to make a new life in a different village.
I personally loved this movie, it was so entertaining. It was a little blunt at times in its messaging about the patriarchy, marriage, and love but I found it endearing and a movie that did a good job at showing, not just telling. I found “Wicker” to truly be such a wonderful watch, one where I laughed and reacted along with the crowd, but also one where I really truly thought about the issues involved in the plot.
